The process of retaining and recruiting employees is rapidly changing. Public Knowledge® can help.
DAs of the third quarter of 2021, over four million people have quit their jobs. The demand for workers continues to outpace the number of people interested in applying for vacant positions. This Great Resignation has left organizations wondering how to retain and recruit employees.
Navigating Through the Great Resignation: The Mission and the Leader Matter
Public sector leaders know that their agency’s mission attracts applicants. Public sector employees feel a strong connection between their identity (“I make a difference”) and the agency’s mission (“WE make a difference”). As your organization moves through this challenging time, lean into your organization’s purpose. Help prospective applicants see themselves working at a purpose-driven agency.
While an organization’s mission may attract employees, management’s leadership style will either feed turnover or fuel loyalty and boost retention. People who have left their jobs often talk about the low pay, lack of autonomy, unreasonable performance demands, and the absence of a work-life balance. In other words, you will find that people leave because of the work climate. Help your managers grow as leaders.
People Want Authentic and Assertive Leaders
People want a leader who is authentic, diplomatic, and compassionate. From day one, leaders must define results-oriented performance and set the boundaries of workplace flexibility, and be consistent about it. Establishing a work-life balance is about compassion and clear accountability.
Managers cannot return to 20th–century management styles and expect to thrive in the Great Resignation. People crave an updated version of what our work lives can and should be—where personal worth and work-life balance are actualized.
How to Thrive in a Post-Pandemic Economy
Public agencies can start by assessing the leadership quotient of their leadership structure. How well are managers unleashing their team’s individual and collective strengths and trusting but verifying performance?
Are supervisors, managers, and executives:
- Building trust
- Articulating the why and what (business purpose)
- Aligning policies, systems, resources, and practices?
Public Knowledge® Can Help, We Walk the Talk
I have worked for distinct types of managers and leaders—some I survived and a select handful I hold as mentors. Yet, it was not until I came to Public Knowledge® (PK) that I experienced sustainable work-life balance. We work together with a clear purpose and a commitment to delivering on our promises. We do this while making space for life’s unexpected circumstances. PK is not a place where “butts in seats” equals performance—this is an all-remote workplace focused on results and the human experience.
Let PK be Your Catalyst for Positive Change
If your agency is struggling with recruitment or retention, please reach out. Our firm has helped countless organizations redesign business processes, managed technical and organizational culture change, and navigated complex environments while solving a myriad of complex problems. Moreover, PK lives its values and can help your organization thrive in a post-pandemic world and get through the Great Resignation.